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37
address issues related to Populist and
Republican goals regarding business and
agriculture. Thus, a new strategy emerged
for the 1894 election in which two entirely
different groups would work together for a
common cause. Fusion, as this merger came
to be called, was unique in national politics
and was not embraced by the national
Republican or Populist parties. Further
complication the merger was that not all
members of the two parties within the state
endorsed the practice either. 6
Before fusion of the two parties
could be achieved, differences between the
two groups on a variety of issues had to be
addressed. Leadership within each party
acknowledged that the only way to achieve
victory was to set aside differences,
particularly those concerning racial matters.
The two organizations featured similar
platforms regarding election reform,
increased local governmental authority, and
additional support for public schools,
thereby creating an easy policy fit for the
merger. Likely Fusionists saw that the 1894
election had the potential to fill the General
Assembly with Populists and Republicans,
who would, in return, appoint like- minded
individuals to the national Senate.
Therefore, although not a gubernatorial or
6 For more on the problems of Fusion politics, see the
following: Joseph Steelman, “ Republican Party
Strategists and the Issue of Fusion with Populists in
North Carolina, 1893- 1894” North Carolina
Historical Review ( July 1970); William Mabry,
“ Negro Suffrage and Fusion Rule in North Carolina”
North Carolina Historical Review ( Apr. 1935);
Jeffrey Crow, “ Fusion, Confusion, and Negroism:
Schisms Among Negro Republicans in the North
Carolina” North Carolina Historical Review ( Oct.
1976) and Allen Trelease, “ The Fusion Legislatures
of 1895 and 1897: A Roll- Call Analysis of the North
Carolina House of Representatives” North Carolina
Historical Review ( July 1980) and James L. Hunt,
Marion Butler and American Populism. Edmonds,
Negro and Fusion Politics, 25- 28; McDuffie,
“ Politics in Wilmington,” 390- 1, 393.
presidential election, success in 1894 was
seen as pivotal for Fusionists. 7
Early Fusion in Wilmington
Just as Wilmington and New
Hanover County experienced problems
during the statewide election crises of earlier
decades, the 1894 election spurred even
further troubles in the region. The
Democratic Party was split into factions—
the Reformers and Regulars— that failed to
reconcile differences. State Democratic
Party leaders were brought in to mediate,
albeit unsuccessfully. The Republican
Party, also still undergoing internal dissent
among many African American members as
evidenced by Reverend Alridge’s sermon,
pulled itself together to win local election
victories in 1894. The methods used by
Russell as Republican leader in New
Hanover County were less than clear at the
time.
Russell and his supporters took a
series of steps to achieve their goal using
tactics not seen before in the Republican
Party. First, candidate nominations were left
to a committee instead of a convention,
thereby preventing factionalism on a large
scale. 8 Once the committee chose its
candidates, the Republicans waited until the
last minute to make nominations known.
Additionally, because they wanted to avoid
the race issue, only one African American
was put forward as a candidate. Among the
most obtuse of their strategies was the
nomination of only one candidate for the
state house even though two positions were
available for the county. The Democratic
ticket featured two candidates from
7 Edmonds, Negro and Fusion Politics, 34- 37;
McDuffie, “ Politics in Wilmington,” 395.
8 The nomination committee was comprised of four
whites ( Daniel Russell, William Chadbourn, Flavel
Foster, and George Z. French) and three blacks
( Thomas C. Miller, Daniel L. Howard, and J. O.
Nixon). McDuffie, “ Politics in Wilmington,” 397.

37
address issues related to Populist and
Republican goals regarding business and
agriculture. Thus, a new strategy emerged
for the 1894 election in which two entirely
different groups would work together for a
common cause. Fusion, as this merger came
to be called, was unique in national politics
and was not embraced by the national
Republican or Populist parties. Further
complication the merger was that not all
members of the two parties within the state
endorsed the practice either. 6
Before fusion of the two parties
could be achieved, differences between the
two groups on a variety of issues had to be
addressed. Leadership within each party
acknowledged that the only way to achieve
victory was to set aside differences,
particularly those concerning racial matters.
The two organizations featured similar
platforms regarding election reform,
increased local governmental authority, and
additional support for public schools,
thereby creating an easy policy fit for the
merger. Likely Fusionists saw that the 1894
election had the potential to fill the General
Assembly with Populists and Republicans,
who would, in return, appoint like- minded
individuals to the national Senate.
Therefore, although not a gubernatorial or
6 For more on the problems of Fusion politics, see the
following: Joseph Steelman, “ Republican Party
Strategists and the Issue of Fusion with Populists in
North Carolina, 1893- 1894” North Carolina
Historical Review ( July 1970); William Mabry,
“ Negro Suffrage and Fusion Rule in North Carolina”
North Carolina Historical Review ( Apr. 1935);
Jeffrey Crow, “ Fusion, Confusion, and Negroism:
Schisms Among Negro Republicans in the North
Carolina” North Carolina Historical Review ( Oct.
1976) and Allen Trelease, “ The Fusion Legislatures
of 1895 and 1897: A Roll- Call Analysis of the North
Carolina House of Representatives” North Carolina
Historical Review ( July 1980) and James L. Hunt,
Marion Butler and American Populism. Edmonds,
Negro and Fusion Politics, 25- 28; McDuffie,
“ Politics in Wilmington,” 390- 1, 393.
presidential election, success in 1894 was
seen as pivotal for Fusionists. 7
Early Fusion in Wilmington
Just as Wilmington and New
Hanover County experienced problems
during the statewide election crises of earlier
decades, the 1894 election spurred even
further troubles in the region. The
Democratic Party was split into factions—
the Reformers and Regulars— that failed to
reconcile differences. State Democratic
Party leaders were brought in to mediate,
albeit unsuccessfully. The Republican
Party, also still undergoing internal dissent
among many African American members as
evidenced by Reverend Alridge’s sermon,
pulled itself together to win local election
victories in 1894. The methods used by
Russell as Republican leader in New
Hanover County were less than clear at the
time.
Russell and his supporters took a
series of steps to achieve their goal using
tactics not seen before in the Republican
Party. First, candidate nominations were left
to a committee instead of a convention,
thereby preventing factionalism on a large
scale. 8 Once the committee chose its
candidates, the Republicans waited until the
last minute to make nominations known.
Additionally, because they wanted to avoid
the race issue, only one African American
was put forward as a candidate. Among the
most obtuse of their strategies was the
nomination of only one candidate for the
state house even though two positions were
available for the county. The Democratic
ticket featured two candidates from
7 Edmonds, Negro and Fusion Politics, 34- 37;
McDuffie, “ Politics in Wilmington,” 395.
8 The nomination committee was comprised of four
whites ( Daniel Russell, William Chadbourn, Flavel
Foster, and George Z. French) and three blacks
( Thomas C. Miller, Daniel L. Howard, and J. O.
Nixon). McDuffie, “ Politics in Wilmington,” 397.